Building foundation and soil stabilization method and system

ABSTRACT

System and means soil stabilization and moisture control for building foundations including methods and systems for stabilization moisture in a site for building foundation by applying soil moisture stabilization material in various forms, a preferred stabilization material being a mixture of aluminosilicate Pozzolan mineral and granular material such as sand.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/464,218, filed Mar. 20, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No.10,053,834, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/718,967 filed May 21, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,598,834, which is acontinuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/870,283 filedApr. 25, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,074,340, which claims benefit under35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/778,822, filed Mar. 13, 2013, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/761,505, filed Feb. 6, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/801,305 filed Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosures of each of which arehereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to building foundation soil stabilizationand moisture control and more specifically, to methods and systems forstabilization moisture in a site for building foundation by applyingsoil moisture stabilization material in various forms.

Background

The expansion and contraction of soil is a significant factor in causingdamage to the foundations of buildings and other structures. Suchexpansion and contraction results from changes in the moisture contentof the soil which are particularly evident in clay and other heavysoils. The changes in volume of the soil can place undesirable forcesupon a foundation so as to cause structural damage.

Moisture content of soil can change for a variety of reasons. Forexample, water can be removed from the soil by the processes oftranspiration via the presence of vegetation, evaporation and gravity.Such processes can create areas of localized water depletion as well aslarger area wet/dry cycles that can cause a foundation to sag, lift,crack and move, eventually leading to structural failure.

Attempts previously been made to stabilize the moisture content of soilaround foundations: see U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,143 to Goines et al. thatdiscloses a soil moisture stabilization system comprising twocircumferential zones around a house, where one circumferential zone isplaced approximately three feet below the other; U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,781to Gregory et al. that discloses a moisture control system comprising aplurality of supply pipes, accumulator pipes, and porous pipes forsupplying water, storing water and allowing water to seep intosurrounding soil; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,494 to Owens et al. thatdiscloses a soil moisture stabilization system that operates based onstress sensors placed on the foundation. Water is injected into the soilaround a foundation when the stress sensors detect abnormal levels ofstress.

Despite these efforts, there is a need for the development of aneffective foundation and soil moisture stabilization system and methods.There is a particular need for a system that can optimize soilsaturation and control specific sections around a structure that mayneed differing levels of moisture to achieve saturation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method for building foundation moisture control has beendisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,078, May 6, 2003 and U.S. Pat. No.7,018,134, Mar. 28, 2006 using porous pipe as means for transportingliquid to the zones. The present invention is a cost effective and morereliable solution for delivering moisture around foundations andpreventing soil movement.

Distribution of moisture is supplied to the system of the invention bytrenches or ditches adjacent to the building foundation in which thetrench is filed with a granular material with a liquid retentioncomponent.

In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of foundationirrigation comprising the installation of one or more independent zonesof liquid distribution trenches around a building foundation, feeding atleast one section in each of the independent zones, and controlling theflow of liquid to the zones to allow each zone to deliver waterindependently of other zones. Independent irrigation zones willcontribute to better management of foundation leveling since one side ofthe house might require more or less moisture than a different side.

Feeding the independent zones can be done by center-feeding, feeding atone-end, both ends, and any combination thereof. Optimal moisturedelivery can be achieved through an automated system to detect soilmoisture and add/shut off irrigation event based on soil moisturereading or through user intervention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Embodiments of the invention is described with reference to the severalfigures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a building site on which embodimentsof the invention may be practiced.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a cross section of ground on a building site onwhich embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a cross section of ground on a building site onwhich embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of a cross section of ground on a building site onwhich embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of conceptual sections of a building site withmoisture distribution holes.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of conceptual moisture distribution holes.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the invention showing apossible zone configuration.

FIG. 7A is a schematic view of one embodiment of the invention showing aControl system.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a building showing four independent zonesaround a building structure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a liquiddistribution trench of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a liquiddistribution trench of the invention with a bottom drain.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side plan view of one embodiment of the inventionillustrating an embodiment of a liquid distribution trench of theinvention with liquid barriers.

FIG. 12 is a schematic end view of one embodiment of the inventionillustrating a prepackaged fill container.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the inventionillustrating a prepackaged fill container.

FIG. 14 is view of one embodiment of the invention illustrating areservoir for delivering liquid to the system.

FIG. 15 is a schematic side plan view of one embodiment of the inventionillustrating an embodiment of a liquid distribution holes of theinvention with liquid barrier such as Tyvek™ fabric.

FIG. 16 is plan view of a water distribution system of an embodiment ofthe invention

FIG. 17A is plan view of a water distribution system of an embodiment ofthe invention showing perforated pipes disposed in trenches around theperimeter of a building foundation.

FIG. 17B is plan view of a water distribution system of an embodiment ofthe invention showing perforated pipes disposed in trenches around theperimeter of a building foundation.

FIG. 17C is plan view of a water distribution system of an embodiment ofthe invention showing perforated pipes disposed in trenches around theperimeter of a building foundation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a soil moisture stabilization system andmethod for use in, under and around building foundations. In broadaspect the invention provides moisture stabilization of the soil of abuilding site, particularly the section of the site on which buildingfoundations and paving are located, to alleviate shifting of the soiland other adverse effects that occur when soil moisture levelssignificantly changes over short periods of time. The system and methodinvolves the application of a soil moisture stabilization material,either to the entire site, the site location on which a foundation is tobe placed, or around an existing building foundation. “Soil moisturestabilization material” as the term is used in this specification andclaims means a material that changes the properties of the soil and/orclay such that the soil's ability to retain and/or transport moisture iseither enhanced or diminished, depending upon the desired effect. An“effective” amount of soil moisture stabilization material to effect ameasurable enhancement of soil moisture stabilization capacity—to retainor transfer moisture as desired.

The beneficial effect of the soil stabilization system and method ofthis invention is to improve the performance of indigenous soil or addedsoil to a building site to enhance retention of moisture and aid orretard liquid transmission through the soil to provide a more stable andsuitable foundation base that is less subject to expansion andcontraction with ambient moisture conditions.

Since adequate building foundations are often “engineered”, that isdesigned for structure, load and the like, including conditioning of theindigenous soil of the site, it is desirable to be able to “certify”(and/or warrant) the soil enhancements to ensure proper application andconstruction. This in accomplished in this invention by providingdistinctive markings such as visual identifiers including tags, coloringto the soil moisture stabilization material, small unique plasticpieces, beads, distinctive granular material and the like or adding tothe material RFID chips. RFID chips are relatively inexpensive and maybe associated with identifiers to allow monitoring of a variety ofdesirable information such as source, intellectual property rights andobligations, date of manufacture, date of application, composition,quantity of application and the like. In one aspect there is alsoprovided a warranty system for assuring integrity of the foundationresulting from the application of the system and methods of thisinvention. Such a warranty method is disclosed in U.S. application Ser.No. 61/801,305, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference for all purposes. The marking assist inaccomplishing the objectives of the warranty.

In one set of embodiments the soil moisture stabilization material willcontain the mineral pozzolan and preferably pozzolan plus granularmaterial as further described in addition embodiment described below.

Clay and hardpan soils may present special problems in stabilizingindigenous soils. Clays generally result in poor drainage, soggy soil,and soil compaction. In clay soils a number of liquid and solidamendments will be beneficial, including the use of gypsum. Gypsum canpenetrate the millions of fine clay particles in heavy or hardpan typesoils and loosen the soil structure. This process then creates air andmoisture spaces that eventually loosen and break-up the soil structure.Gypsum is especially suitable as it neutral, non-toxic to humans andanimals and does not burn. It may be added to the top of the soil orinto the soil stabilization material describe herein.

In one set of embodiments a building site is provided with soil moisturestabilization material (fill) applied to an entire building site or toselected sections of the site. These embodiments may be applied before abuilding foundation is placed on the site or for selected sections aftera foundation is placed on the site. FIG. 1 shows a building site 300 onwhich a building 302 is to be placed (or has been placed). The site hasboundaries 306, 308, 310 and 312. Moisturization means such as soilstabilization material may be placed on the entire surface (and/orsubsurface) of the site prior to placement of a building.

Referring to FIG. 1 stabilization fill may, for example, be applied tosection 320, 321, 322, 324 and/or 326 or on any combination of thesesections. The stabilization fill may be placed on the surface of thesoil of the site as shown in FIG. 2 where the soil grade level is 328,the fill is 332 and the soil is 336. The fill may also be placed only onthe sub-surface as shown in FIG. 3 where 328 is the grade level soil,342 the fill and 346 soil (indigenous or supplied). FIG. 4 illustratesthe fill both at the surface, 328, and subsurface (352). In general,surface fill will be about 2 to 8 inches deep from grade level, andin-ground fill will be to a depth of about 8to 36 inches from grade.

Applying a soil moisture stabilization material (‘fill”) to the entiresite (or large sections of the site) before the building foundation isplaced aids in moisture retention and stabilization at a relativelyconstant level without the need to constantly monitor and supplymoisture as is needed with other embodiments described above. Whilesupplemental moisture may occasionally be needed the building foundationand paving when placed on the site will partially seal in the moisturestabilization fill to provide a sub-foundation that is much less subjectto heaving and contraction with changes in ambient moisture conditions.

However, the soil moisture stabilizer material may be irrigated based oncontrolled schedule (based on numerous criteria as discussed in moredetail below) using drip irrigation means as the liquid delivery, topirrigation or any other irrigation method that may be scheduled andcontrolled. Supplemental moisture may be supplied by drip lines arrangedin zones (outside the building foundation and paved areas) andcontrolled in the same manner.

Alternatively, conduits that supply liquid in small quantities as dripsystems do may be placed under the soil moisture stabilization materialor above the material to supply moisture as needed. This may be donewith a grid or ziz-zag pattern of conduits that are connected to aliquid supply. The amount and timing of supplying liquid may becontrolled in various ways as is explained for the system of irrigationof existing foundations described in detail below. The irrigationconduit may also be used to transport and distribute other fluids suchas pesticides or liquid fertilizers, for example in a garden or flowerbed grown alongside a home or other structure.

Moisture barriers may be placed around the fill to prevent migration ofmoisture to adjacent or unwanted area of the site. For example, barriersmay be placed at the building site boundaries. Items 344 and 354 inFIGS. 3 and 4, cross section views of fill material, illustrate oneplacement of barriers. Barriers may be also placed on the top, bottom orsides of the fill when it is placed in sections of the site. The samematerials for barriers, plastic, metal, concrete, etc, as described forthe embodiments described hereafter are suitable.

An advantage of the whole or sectional moisturization is that the soilmoisture stabilization material (such as sand and pozzolan fill) is anexcellent planting material that provides good soil for planting andsince the fill retains moisture, is very moisture efficient. Thus, inpractice, in these embodiments, a building site will be graded to thedesired grade, excavated to the depth desired for the moisturizationfill, the fill added and leveled and the building foundation and pavinginstalled. For foundations that are to be placed partially below grade,the fill will be place beneath the level of the base of the foundationand/or mixed with the soil (indigenous or added from offsite) so thatthe fill will provide soil moisturization stability and soil stabilityfor the foundation.

In some applications it will be desirable that the fill will be soakedwith liquid (usually water) and left to stand (either open or covered aswith canvas or polymer sheet) until the moisture level has stabilizedbefore the building foundation and paving is installed.

In many building projects the foundation is poured on a granular basesuch as sand that is contoured to form molds for built-in concrete beams(usually reinforced by rebar). This kind of granular foundationformation may be supplemented with soil moisture stabilization fill asdescribed above.

In another aspect the fill as described may be added to the entire siteor to sections as “soil amendments” to improve clay soil reaction tomoisture change and to stabilize the soil from movement with ambientmoisture change. The same considerations, materials and compositionsdescribed below for the set of embodiments where the soil moisturestabilizations material (fill) is placed in slug or in trenches aroundan existing foundation applies to this set of embodiments.

It has been found that the water retention agent pozzolan is excellentin stabilizing clay soils. Other additives including gypsum may also bebeneficially added for clay or heavy soils. Thus, a preferred soilmoisture stabilization material will be a granular material admixed witha moisture retaining material. The granular material may suitably besand, finely divided gravel, crushed lava rock, crushed stone, rock,plastic pellets and the like. Generally some form of sand will be verysuitable. The water retention component is a material that aids theporous material in retaining liquid so that it is passes through thegranular material (and out) much slower than it would otherwise.“Pozzolan” has been found to be a very suitable water retentioncomponent. Pozzolan is a soil amendment mineral that helps increase thewater holding capacity of a sandy and droughty soil. See Abiye YassinIbrahim; Effect of a Water Retention Material “Pozzolan” on the SoilWater Balance of Sand and Loamy Sand; University of Ghent, FreeUniversity of Brussels; Academic Year 1999-2000, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. See also Weeks, J. D. et al;Bentgrass Establishment in Sand-base Rootzones Using Subsurface DripIrrigation; Texas Tech University; publically available and may be foundat http://www.technogreencorp.com/TexasTechStudy.pdf, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. The Texas Tech paperdescribes test for soil amendment with various sands—sands that wouldall be suitable for use in this invention. Pozzolan, has been founduseful in improving areas that normally require a significant amount ofwatering. Since Pozzolan has an adequate saturated hydraulicconductivity, it is incorporated into a granular fill. The fill acts assource of capillary conductive medium providing moisture to adjacentsoil. Mix ratios are preferably custom designed based on the particlesize distribution and type of sand that is used. In general, the mixwould be in the range of 50-90% sand and 10-50% Pozzolan and moresuitably from about 15 to 30% Pozzolan. A composition of 20% Pozzolanand 80% sand has been found to provide a good balance of properties.

A preferred Pozzolan for the present invention is a Pozzolan mineralcalled “Lassenite”. “Lassenite is a mineral, mined from a deposit inCalifornia. Lassenite is a Pozzolan, a crystalline, porousaluminosilicate and thus its composition includes aluminum, silicon, andoxygen. It was formed when Mt. Lassen erupted 26,000,000 years agofilling a diatomaceous filled fresh water lake with compacted andsolidified volcanic ash. Structurally, the diatomic remains areamorphous silicon dioxide (glass). Lassenite is relatively unique, asmost Pozzolan deposits throughout the world are contaminated with heavymetals from the volcano or salts from the ocean (see information fromAquaFirst Technologies Inc.). Lassenite is currently used as anamendment to landscaping soils because of its water retention propertiesand has been utilized as an innovative water conservation method in thenon-turf landscaping around the Pacific Institute for Sports Excellenceat the Interurban Campus of Camosun College.” Taken from a write-up thatis publically available and can also be found athttp://www.aquafirst.ca/lassenite_.html.

In general, it is expected that the moisturization stabilization fillwill be delivered to the site either as components to be mixed on siteor premixed. Containerized premixed fill may be used but is expected tobe less advantageous than for the trench embodiments described below.

In another set of embodiments and as an alternative to mixing soilmoisture stabilization material fill into the soil of an entire tract orinto section of a tract, the fill may be placed is discrete holes (orslugs) in selected segments of the site. The stabilizing fill(preferably sand and pozzolan) will distribute the water evenly and thewater retention agent helps retain the water in the granular medium.This provides a reservoir for the soil to slowly and by capillary actionfeed from moisture provided in the mix.

FIG. 5 represents an embodiment of this aspect of the invention. Thetract 60 is conceptually subdivided into 10 foot squared by boundarylines 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68 and 69. Holes, 610, are placed in thecenter of the sections. In one embodiment the section will be about 10feet square and the holes (slugs) about 1 foot square and 12 to 48inches deep (preferably about 30 to 40 inches deep). FIG. 6 illustratesthe holes or slugs, where 642 is the grade surface, 610 the hole and644, the fill material. The fill may be supplied with liquid wheninstalled and replenished manually or by, for example, with a conduitssystem (614 conduits, 612 drip members and 620 liquid supply means).

As in the treatment of the entire or sections of the site, it will, inmany situations be desirable, and therefore as aspect of this invention,to place identifiers such as RFID chips, color or tags (such as smallunique plastic pieces, beads, distinctive granular material and thelike) placed in the fill.

In another set of embodiments are for soil moisture stabilization to anexisting building site with a building in place, the system of thisinvention can be controlled to deliver water or other liquids tosurrounding soil through a fluid distribution network. (Hereinafter,water will be generically used to represent any type of liquid suitablefor transportation and distribution to soil). The system is installedgenerally below ground, and in a preferred embodiment, the system isinstalled adjacent to and about 18 to 24 inches away from the foundationand 12 to 24 inches below ground level, but may be disposed further fromthe foundation. The system comprises zones and each zone may comprise anetwork of sections that may or may not be connected together inpredetermined increments.

Optimum moisture delivery is achieved through the control of moisturecontent and user intervention. In some embodiments a controller thatenables each zone (if multiple zones exist) to water independently ofthe others. The irrigation controller can be used to control irrigationevents through turning on/off irrigation valves.

When a zone is selected to be turned “on”, the controller is set todeliver water to the zone. Liquid is then delivered to the liquiddistribution system for distribution to the surrounding soil until thezone is turned “off” and water ceases to flow within the zone. Thecontrol of liquid to the zone(s) can be based on hydrological propertiesof soil in which the irrigation system will response according to waterneed. Hydraulics and flow are balanced to achieve accurate saturation.

It is therefore one aspect of the invention to provide a buildingfoundation moisture stabilization system and method, comprising one ormore zones, wherein a zone comprises a water delivery network that hasconduit section(s) of predetermined length with at least one center-fedor end-fed length. Such a predetermined length could optimally be in therange of about 3 to 20 feet and preferably about 8 to 20. A controllergoverns the flow of water to the independent zones.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing, FIG. 7 is an isometric viewof a building showing four independent irrigation zones adjacentbuilding structure where each zone includes multiple center-fedsections. In the example shown, one independent zone is used for eachside of the structure (front, back and sides). The delivery system canbe installed above or below ground, but in a preferred embodiment thesystem is subterranean and installed 18 to 24 inches away from thefoundation and 12 to 36 inches below ground level. The system is tiedinto a main water supply line or other central liquid supply source inthe manner and with the components 90 and 10-16 described below. Thecontroller 22 controls the flow of water to the independent zones viathe zone valves 18 installed in manifold 20. The conduit 30 feeds theporous liquid delivery conduit 40. Optimum moisture level may beachieved through manually or automatically monitoring moisture contentand by user intervention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the invention showing apossible zone connection configuration. Each independent zone comprisesa network of conduit 40. A backflow prevention device 10 may beinstalled and connected to a master valve 14. A strainer 12, such as awye strainer, may also be installed on the main water line between thebackflow device 10 and the master valve 14 to help keep undesirablesubstances out of the piping section in the event of a break. The mastervalve 14 may be installed with a pressure regulator 16 in order toregulate pressure to the zone valves 18. The zone valves 18 areinstalled in a manifold 20, which can be installed in a centrallylocated valve box. A controller 22 governs the flow of water to each ofthe zones via the zone valves 18, enabling each zone to waterindependently of the others. The controller 22 can be an activemonitoring controller that is electronic or hydraulic. It can utilize awater or moisture sensor placed within the soil (as described below) ora timer which operates in any desired time increment (as determined bythe specifications of the type of controller used, for example 1 minuteto 6 hours) with multiple start and finish times available for eachzone. Alternatively, controller 22 can be a passive controller whichutilizes a floating cut-off or other passive flow control switchingmechanism. The controller may be remotely controlled (see FIG. 7a ). Theremote control may be managed through a wired connection (25 in FIG. 7a) to a suitable device such as a computer terminal, computer tablet andthe like or wireless through an antenna (27) or other suitable signaltransmitting/receiving device(s). The control may be by internet,satellite, text message, etc. from a wireless phone or tablet, telephoneline, cable, homeowners association network (or other communityorganization) and the like. Remote control can be easily designed bythose skilled in the art and allows more flexibility in control of theoption for maintaining balanced irrigation.

In operation water seeps through the drip conduit 40 into a liquiddistribution trench as described below to moistens the surrounding soiluntil the zone is turned “off” and water ceases to flow within the zone.The hydraulics are balanced to achieve desirable soil moisture. Thisgenerally is accomplished in response to the hydrological properties ofsoil. A rain sensor may also be connected to the controller 22 to ensurethat the system is not turned “on” when it is raining. Risers 24 withthreaded caps can be installed below ground to allow for visualobservation of the zone for proper flow and trouble-shooting or to allowflushing and/or other maintenance.

U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/761,505 filed Feb. 6, 2013describes a liquid supply system utilizing wicking rope for evendistribution of liquid around a building foundation. Such a system issuitable for supplying moisture to the systems including the trenchesand holes disclosed in the present invention. The disclosure of U.S.Ser. No. 61/761,505, filed Feb. 6, 2013 is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety for all purposes. U.S. provisional patentapplication No. 61/801,305 filed Mar. 15, 2013 describes a liquid supplysystem utilizing Tyvek™ fabric (a flash spun high-density polyethylenefiber fabric sold under the trademark Tyvek™) covered pipe for evendistribution of liquid around a building foundation. Such a system issuitable for supplying moisture to the systems including the trenchesand holes disclosed in the present invention. The disclosure of U.S.Ser. No. 61/801,305, filed Mar. 15, 2013 is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety for all purposes. The description and figuresfrom the provisional application have been added to this application.These additions are to make the Drawings conform to the requisitestandards and to place the description in a more suitable form for thespecification. No new matter is added. Referring to FIGS. 17A, 17B and17C, there is a water source 821. Perforated pipe 825 is encased inTyvek™ fabric (a flash spun high-density polyethylene fiber fabric) isdisposed in trenches around a building site 823 to allow a wicking orseeping effect to evenly distribute the water in the trenches. Thetrenches may have granular material and/or Pozzolan mineral disposed inthem to aid in even dispersal of the moisture. When the pipe is filledwith water the pressure of the water source causes the Tyvek™ sleeve (asleeve made of flash spun high-density polyethylene fiber fabric) toallow water to seep out. Prior to that pressure caused by the watersource on the filled pipe the water is contained in the pipe by theTyvek™ sleeve. Tyvek™ fabric generally will not let water pass at apressure of about 1 psi but will allow it to pass at higher pressures.

FIG. 15 illustrates holes having a porous or open end pipe disposed inholes on a building site. Water is supplied by conduit 801 to the pipe802 that is disposed in a sleeve 806 in the soil of a building site 804.The hole may also be filled with a granular material 808. FIG. 16illustrated a suitable arrangement of pipes, 810, and holes 812.

Each zone may be center-fed with, for example, solid PVC pipe,polyethylene tubing or other suitable conduit. The solid conduit,illustratively, may center-feed the pipe 40 which, in turn, center-feedsthe liquid distribution trench. Center-feeding the porous pipe 40 in 10foot increments helps to ensure proper hydraulic flow throughout thezone; however, in order to maintain proper flow, it has been found thata liquid delivery zone should generally not exceed about 100 feet(preferably 80 feet) in linear run. Alternatively, each zone can be fedfrom one end, both ends and any combination of center-feeding andend-feeding.

The following brand-types and specifications for various components ofthe invention are included for exemplary purposes only:

Conduit consisting of PVC Pipe ¾″ class 200—Rated for 200 psi 1 inchclass 200—Rated for 200 psi (used to tie in main line) PVC FittingsSchedule 40 Poly Tubing ⅜ inch Nylon Zip-ties ⅛ inch times 6 inch′ usedto secure porous tubing to nylon fittings Porous Tubing ⅜ inch Nylonbarbed ⅜ inch fittings.

The backflow prevention device could be supplied by Febco® a unit thatincludes a double-check assembly, pressure vacuum breaker, andatmospheric vacuum breaker. The device can be installed as needed ortied in from an existing irrigation system.

The electronic controller could be from the Rain Dial® Series fromIrritrol® systems.

The valves could be the 700 series UltraFlow from Irritrol® systems.

The pressure regulator could be from Omni® from Irritrol® systems.

The liquid distribution system of this invention consists of zones eachcomprising a trench or ditch into which is disposed a soil moisturestabilization material, preferably granular, porous medium admixed witha water retaining component. Granular material may suitably be sand,finely divided gravel, crushed lava rock, crushed stone, rock, plasticpellets and the like. Generally some form of sand will be very suitable.The water retention component is a material that aids the porousmaterial in retaining liquid so that it is passes through the granularmaterial (and out) much slower than it would otherwise and preferably ispozzolan as described in detail above.

Referring to FIG. 9 an illustration of a cross section of one embodimentof the moisturizing liquid distribution trench of the invention, thetrench 100 has vertical sides 113 and 114, a bottom 111 and top 119. Theground grade level is shown as 112 and a building foundation as 130. Thetrench 100 is optionally filled at the bottom with a few inches ofgravel 115, the bulk or predominate volume of the trench is filled withgranular material plus a liquid retaining component—preferably sand witha Pozzolan component as discussed above. At the top of the trench thereis, optionally, top layer 117 and also, optionally, a cover 119. The toplayer may be native soil, lava rock, mulch, polymer foam and the like.The trench may also be left uncovered (with the granular and liquidretaining component filled to the top) and used as a planting bed—thegranular/pozzolan mixture is generally an excellent growing soil.Disposed in the top layer at grade level or up to 8 inches below gradeis a drip irrigation conduit 118 that supplies liquid to the trench. Thedrip irrigation conduit distributed liquid from a central supply pointto the liquid distribution trench and may be any suitable dripirrigation conduit such as PVC pipe polyethylene with drip holes,“soaking” hose and the like. As illustrative of a preferred embodimentthe trench will be 6 to 24 inches wide (preferable 8-12 inches with a 9inch width being very suitable for most situations). The trench isspaced at about 6 inches to 8 feet from the foundation 130 andpreferably about 6 to 24 inches.

There may also be disposed in the trench liquid-retarding or barriermaterial(s) along the side or sides and bottom of the trench. Forexample, there may be a liquid barrier placed along the bottom 111, side114 and/or the top 119. The barrier may be on only one side or bottom oron the bottom, side and top or any such combination. Generally therewill not be a barrier at side 113—the side adjacent the buildingfoundation. Suitable liquid barriers include flexible or rigid plasticsheet material, metal or plastic panels, concrete, asphalt or othersuitable coating for the trench sides and any other suitable materialthat is capable of retarding or preventing liquid flow. The barrier maybe placed in the trench before moisture stabilizing fill is added, maybe incorporated with the fill or may be supplied as preassembledbarriers that are manufactured offsite and delivered to the site andinstalled.

In another embodiment the trench may also be used to collect excesswater, in case of severe rain or excessive watering event, and providesfor means of drainage to permit the soil around the foundation torelease excess water beyond its saturation level in the nature of a“French Drain”. Gravel, rocks and other materials are used to allow easymovements of water at the bottom of the liquid distribution trench. Anembodiment of this aspect is illustrated in FIG. 10 where 121 representthe walls of additional depth of trench beneath the trench 100.Generally this basin will be filled with gravel or other materials, 124,that facilitate water flow. There is a barrier 123 between the maintrench and the drain. There is a drain conduit 122 in the bottom of thetrench that allows water to enter and be drained off. The conduit 122will be sloped along the length of the trench to facilitate dischargethe excess liquid. The conduit may be any suitable material and designbut generally will be PVC or polyethylene pipe or tubing with holes toallow liquid to enter—conventional drain pipe is very acceptable forthis service in most situations.

The liquid distribution trench may be of varying lengths arranged inzones placed adjacent to and around a building foundation (asillustrated in FIG. 7). The zones may be of any length, from the lengthof a side of a building to individual predetermined lengths such as 4 to12 foot. The length will be, to some extent, the user's choice but willalso be influenced by the conditions of the site and the means that thegranular material is disposed into the trench. There may be, forexample, discontinuities in the trench at building doorways or walkways.

The soil moisture stabilization martial such as a mixture of granularmaterial and pozzolan disposed in the trench may be mixed and compoundedon site, may be premixed offsite and delivered to the site or may be, inone important embodiment, packaged into flexible containers (such asbags) that are placed into the trench. The container will generally beflexible bags that are porous at least on one side and may be ofmaterial that will decompose after time in place. An embodiment ofprepackaged (bagged) fill material is illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13.FIG. 12 6 shows an end view of a prepackaged fill container and fill. Itis composed of flexible material 146, 147 and 148 that may be of thesame or different materials. The material may be a plastic (polymer)fabric or something like burlap. The sides 146, 147 and/or 144 may bemade of liquid barrier material and the side 148 (that will be placedfacing the building foundation) of a porous or mesh material so thatliquid will easily pass. FIG. 6 also illustrated a preinstalled dripconduit 145. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the same prepackagedfilled with preinstalled conduit 145 with connector 149 installed. Theconnector may be a “quick connect” fitting, pipe union or the like. Aswill be apparent there are many useful configurations for prepackagingthe fill material that are within the scope of this invention. Thecontainers or bags may be fitted with a liquid barrier sides and/orbottom (as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13) so that they are, in effect,totally self-contained and can be placed in a trench without need forfurther adaption. The containers may be of any convenient size andlength, for example, they may be made into four and six foot lengths toallow flexibility in placing them in a trench. Exemplary of one of manypossible embodiments, the containers of FIGS. 12 and 13 may be about 18inches on the sides designated 146 and 148 and about 8-10 inches on thebottom (147) and be constructed of burlap or porous plastic fabric withadditional liquid barrier material disposed on the bottom 147 and sides46 and optionally on top 144 (generally will not have a barrierprepackaged on the top but one may be placed on top when the fill is inplaced in a trench). The containers may also be made with lengths ofdrip conduit disposed in the top section with suitable connectors sothat individual sections (single container) can be convenientlyconnected together. Containerizing the fill material will greatlyfacilitate installation particularly in locations that are difficult toreach with large equipment or crowded or constricted location locationssuch as will be the case with many existing buildings.

As with the other embodiments the fill material in the trenches and inthe prepackaged containers will desirably contain markers such as tags,coloring and in preferred embodiments programmed RFID chips. RFID chipsare relatively inexpensive and may be programmed with identifiers toallow monitoring of a variety of desirable information such as source,intellectual property rights and obligations, date of manufacture, dateof application, composition, quantity of application and the like.

FIG. 14 illustrates another component of embodiments of this system.FIG. 14 shows a liquid distribution (as in FIGS. 7 and 8) having aliquid reservoir 200. The liquid reservoir 200 is connected to theliquid delivery conduit means 250 by conduit 240. This configurationprovides some “head” (pressure of elevated liquid) to aid in the wickingspeed of the rope.

The system consists of a reservoir 200 of water that has a liquiddistribution conduit network 250 attached that runs parallel to thefoundation. Water drains from the reservoir 200 and passes through thewicking means network 250 until the moisture content of the liquiddistribution trench is at equilibrium moisture content with the soil inthe vicinity of the trench system. Once this has been achieved, thereservoir 200 will stay at a substantially constant level.

A mesh screen 230 can potentially be installed between the reservoir 200and the wicking material network 250 to prevent particles and debrisfrom entering the wicking material network. The connection between thereservoir and the wicking material network can be made with a connectionmeans 240, for example PVC pipe, and attached to the network 250 with anattachment means 245, for example collard compression fittings. If thewater level in the reservoir 200 drops below a certain level, anauto-fill valve 220 is opened to fill the reservoir back to the normallevel.

The system of FIG. 14 can be connected by connector 210 to conduit 30(of FIG. 7) or it can be connected to existing hose bibs that access theinternal water piping of a structure. Connector 210 potentially can be aflexible hose or rigid conduit and can include a pressure regulator,backflow prevention device and attachment means. For example, it mayinclude a means to attach to conduit 30 or a hose bib on a house. Thereservoir 200 should be placed near the center of the area to be wateredand in an area that can be reached for maintenance. There can be one ormore reservoirs for each zone. The liquid distribution trench network250 should be placed at the base of the grade beam of a foundation(building slab), no further than ten feet away from the buildingfoundation slab. Preferably it will be placed about 12 to 36 inches fromthe building foundation. In most situations placing it no more thanabout 24 inches from the slab will be suitable.

In another embodiment, it is possible to use this invention in any ofthe embodiments where liquid is distributed to transport and distributeother fluids such as pesticides or liquid fertilizers, for example in agarden or flower bed grown alongside a home or other structure. Thesystem can be configured to distribute a desired amount of these fluidsto soil and areas surrounding a foundation. A reservoir as describedabove will facilitate the use of other liquid components such asfertilizers and/or pesticides.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evidentthat various modifications and changes can be made within the spirit andscope of the invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this description and by practice of the invention without departingfrom the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claims. The scope of the invention is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed and the invention covers allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the claims. The specificationis, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than arestrictive sense. Therefore, the scope of the invention should belimited only by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method, the method comprising: forming, prior to forming or placing a foundation at a foundation location, one or more volumetric spaces under the foundation location, wherein said forming comprises: creating one or more vertical volumetric spaces, and placing a capillary conductive medium fill in the vertical volumetric spaces; installing, prior to forming or placing the foundation at a foundation location, a fluid delivery system configured to deliver a fluid to the one or more vertical volumetric spaces under the foundation location, wherein said installing comprises installing horizontal fluid conduits to deliver the fluid to respective ones of the vertical volumetric spaces.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: applying a soil moisture stabilization material to the one or more volumetric spaces.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein installing the fluid delivery system comprises: installing, prior to forming or placing the foundation at the foundation location, conduits from one or more supply ends to one or more of the volumetric spaces, wherein the conduits are configured to transport a fluid from the one or more supply ends to respective volumetric spaces.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said installing the fluid delivery system comprises installing PVC pipe or drip irrigation tubing to supply the fluid to the volumetric spaces.
 5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said installing the fluid delivery system comprises installing one or more vertical tubes coupled to the horizontal fluid conduits to deliver the fluid to respective ones of the vertical volumetric spaces, and wherein the vertical tubes comprise perforated vertical tubes with capped ends.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said forming one or more volumetric spaces comprises creating one or more vertical holes, and placing a sand or gravel fill in the holes; and said installing the fluid delivery system comprises installing one or more vertical tubes coupled to the horizontal conduits to deliver the fluid to respective ones of the vertical holes, wherein the vertical tubes comprise perforated vertical tubes.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said forming one or more volumetric spaces comprises creating one or more vertical holes, and placing a sand or gravel fill in the holes; and said installing the fluid delivery system comprises terminating one or more horizontal conduits above the one or more vertical holes to deliver the fluid to respective ones of the vertical holes.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said installing the fluid delivery system configured to deliver a fluid to the one or more volumetric spaces under the foundation location comprises installing perforated pipe under the foundation location.
 9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: installing the foundation at the foundation location, wherein the foundation is installed, at least partially, over the one or more volumetric spaces.
 10. A method, the method comprising: preparing, prior to installing a foundation at a foundation site, the foundation site with a soil moisture stabilization system, preparing comprising: forming in the foundation site, below a location for the foundation, one or more vertical volumetric spaces configured to provide a reservoir of moisture for the soil surrounding the one or more vertical volumetric spaces, the volumetric spaces comprising a capillary conductive medium fill material; and installing a fluid distribution system comprising horizontal fluid conduits configured to transport a fluid from a source to the capillary conductive medium in the one or more vertical volumetric spaces configured to provide the reservoir of moisture for the soil surrounding the one or more vertical volumetric spaces at the foundation site.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein: said forming one or more vertical volumetric spaces below the location for the foundation comprises forming one or more holes in the soil at the foundation site; and said installing the fluid distribution system comprises: locating one or more pvc pipes in the one or more holes; and filling the one or more holes with the capillary conductive medium.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said forming the one or more volumetric spaces in the foundation site comprises forming a plurality of vertical holes in the foundation site.
 13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said installing the fluid distribution system comprises installing PVC pipe or drip irrigation tubing to transport the fluid to the volumetric spaces. 